Chapitre 13: Maxim's Pov: You Might Get Sick

Maxim handed the two rabbits to Tonya to prepare them for cooking, and he set the table for them while Danny chopped a few more wood to be used.

When Maxim was done, he sat on the chair and stared at his mother lovingly. He liked the peaceful atmosphere in their home.

"You should change your wet clothes, Maxim. You might get sick," Tonya stated, glancing at Maxim with a frown.

"It's impossible for me to get sick. I'm strong!" Maxim argued and flexed his arms, but Tonya shook her head.

"I won't let you catch a cold just because you think you're invincible," Tonya insisted, her tone gentle but firm. She set the rabbits aside momentarily, wiping her hands on her apron. "Now, go change before I do it myself."

Maxim chuckled, knowing better than to argue with his mother when she was in this mood. "Alright, alright," he conceded, standing up from the table. "I'll go change. But only because you threatened me."

Tonya gave him a mock, stern look, but her eyes were warm and affectionate. "Good. And don't take too long, or the food will get cold."

Maxim left the room and headed to his tiny bedroom. He peeled off his damp clothes and quickly wore a dry shirt and trousers. As he changed, he could hear Danny outside, chopping wood with steady, rhythmic thuds. The sound was comforting.

"Maybe I should take a few minutes of rest. Ah! I miss my bed!" Maxim exclaimed and jumped into the bed, caressing the soft cotton he had used to lay with. It didn't take him a few seconds before he fell asleep.

When Tonya realized Maxim hadn't returned, she went to his room and found him sleeping soundly. A smile appeared on her lips as she tucked him in before leaving.

"Where is he?" Danny asked after entering the kitchen. He was dripping with sweat as he put the logs on the floor.

"He's sleeping," Tonya informed and returned to prepare the meat.

Danny nodded as he took a seat. "Did he tell you the reason why he came back?"

"No, but he is here. We should be happy he visits us," Tonya said, shaking her head in worry.

"Yes, I'm also glad, but you know how things work right now. It will be too dangerous for him to travel back after that King put spies around to observe the Forbidden Forest. Even our Scouts have difficulty passing through," Danny explained with worry. They were anxious that Maxim would get caught.

"I understand, but I'm confident he will be fine. He's a smart kid, after all. Besides, it's been three years since we last saw him," Tonya sighed deeply, cutting the meat into tiny pieces.

Five years ago, the Scouts had managed to find a way to enter the DarkMoon pack's Palace after they built the wall to prevent anyone from going in and out.

However, it was a scarce opportunity to come by since the Palace had put a strict rule of killing all the rogues they could find.

Many Scouts died in the process, and Tonya, the Chieftain, ordered the Scouts to cease their movement to the Palace and try in another pack.

It was a success since other packs had secretly made the wolves from the Forbidden Forest enter their territory and buy their needs, but the price was twice the original one. If they sold any materials to the pack as their source of living, it was bought cheaply.

However, the rogues were okay with it since they had no option left.

"If only his necklace could be used by other werewolves. He won't need to go to the city at such a young age," Danny stated, sighing as he felt guilty for approving Maxim to work at the age of twelve.

"It's okay. At least Maxim does a decent job as a worker in a bookstore. He can use that opportunity to learn as he reads those books," Tonya stated, comforting her husband that Maxim was doing fine.

"You're right. I shouldn't be too worried," Danny forced a smile while nodding his head.

"Yes, we should be happy that Maxim is here and he wasn't caught. He's blessed by the Moon Goddess," Tonya giggled as she put the last ingredient in a soup she was making.

"Isn't it his birthday in a few days? We should surprise him," Danny suggested. His worry was replaced with excitement.

"Oh yes! We should prepare, too. He will be shifting into his wolf form," Tonya noted, as it was one of the most painful things a werewolf would experience in their lives.

Danny and Tonya became silent after their conversation. However, there was an unspoken word that needed to be addressed.

"Do you think it's time?" Danny asked, indicating about Maxim's true identity. However, Tonya had a different response.

"He's still too young!" Tonya raised her voice as she slammed the knife down.

"Tonya, we have already talked about this. He needs to know sooner or later. It will backfire on us if we hide it longer," Danny tried to explain. He didn't want Maxim to hate them if he knew it too late.

"He's a good boy. I'm sure he will understand…" Tonya reasoned as she became emotional.

Danny immediately came to Tonya's side and comforted his wife.

"… I just want Maxim to look at me as his mother for a couple more years," Tonya explained. She had imagined what would happen if Maxim knew they were not his real parents.

"We are Maxim's parents. I'm sure he won't abandon us just like that," Danny kissed his wife's forehead and hugged her tight.

However, Danny was worried about Maxim's reaction, too, after he would know the truth but couldn't do anything about it.

After a few seconds, Tonya slightly pushed Danny away as she composed herself.

"We should wake him up. The food is ready," Tonya stated, caressing her husband's cheeks.

"Yes, we should," Danny replied, kissing Tonya's forehead to show how much he loved her.